Toothbrush



d /nVew/Or Sian/ey `Zm/e March 30 1926.

handle.

Patented Mar. 30, 1926.v

UNITED-STATES STANLEY ZAVE, OF vIBICHIIYIIOID HILL, NEW

PATENT OFFICE.

YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHS T0 JOHN mRALUs, .or RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK.

Application -led August This invention relates to tooth brushes and v has as one of its objects to provide a brush capable of effectively cleaning the teeth mechanically, on both the inner` and outer sides simultaneously, and with a minimum of effort.

A further feature is in the provision ofa pair of rolling brushes, that fit the contour of the teeth and which are caused to positively rotate by a simple movement ofthe operators fingers as engaged upon the brush Another aim is to provide a stop limiting the range of brushing action to the length of the teeth, the stop being adjustable at will, and the brush carrying head self-adjustable. 4

A still furthe-r object is to produce a pair of revoluble brushes, separable against spring closing pressure, by which teeth of widely varying sizes are automatically provided for. Y

These and other like important and practical purposes are accomplished by the novel construction, arrangement Vand combination of parts hereinafter describedv and shown in the accompanyin material part o which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention, a portion of the cover being removed to show the conthis disclosure andrf in struction.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional vview taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, and drawn to van enlarged scale. y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3. l

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectionall view taken on li'ne 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of'one of the details of construction.

.l Figure 7 is a partial top plan View, simidrawing, constituting av 31, 1925. Serial No. 53,475.y

lar to Figure 3, but showing the brush carrying head at an angle to the stem.

Stated in general terms, the device consists of a pair of revolving brushes arranged -on parallel axes, spring pressed towards each other to receive a tooth or teeth therebetween and provided with a stop limiting the distance the brushes may be passed over a tooth.v

These brushes are disposed within a casing or yguard to protect the lips, tongue and' cheeks and are rotated by an endless driving belt,A` passing through the brush carrying head, which is self-adjustable to conform with any angle required. I

The; belt is substantially continuously driven by mechanism contained within the body of the device and actuated by merely pressing a pivoted lever-like portion of the handle toward the main part thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, fthe numeral 10 designates in general the brushes, the peripheries of which are sinuous and conformable to a tooth structure. These brushes are fixed upon spindles 11 having sharp conical points to engage in corre-.1v

sponding recesses in the end walls of casings 12, provided with slotted reenforcing plates 13, which permit the brushes to be easily removed when desired.` l Y The fronts 14 ofthe casings are formed undulatingly, as shown', to conform in general to the shape of the brush which is closely adjacent. The rear portions 15 of the casings arebent` convergingly and their ends 16 extended tovreach past one another to receive a pivot. 17 on which they are hingedly 'engaged at both ends. A coiled torsion spring, 18, encircles one end of the pivot 17, the ends of the spring being bent to urge the casings or guards 12,

and therefore the brushes carried by them, inwardly towards each other, this contractible effect being limited by the bevelled portion 19 of a crown 20, through the opening 21 of which this pivot passes, the crown being flattenedv on opposite sides V22 to form l a bearing for the casing ard ends 16.

The crown 20 is held mthe brush frame l ,23 and its lcover 24 b therein, the points o t e screws entering ivotscrews 25 set slots 26 in raised segments 27 extending iny' tegrally from the crown, the arrangement being such as to allow the crownand casing to turn limitedly, on the axis of the crown within the frame.

A stop 28 is provided with rearwardly bent right angular arms 29 which are formed to present spaced indentations in their inner surfaces, the metal being forced outwardly as at 30, and these indentations are engageable with the conical points of thepivot 17, to be held l'loatingly therein and adjustable with respect to the several indentations, as will be understood, thereby permitting adjustment of the stop.

The frame 23 is of generallychannel shaped cross section, having acurved outer end and open at one side to receive the crown 20, held to turn limitedly therein by the screws 25.

The frame is expanded to form a hollow body 31 increased in width as shown and over which is disposed an expanded portion 32 of the-cover 24. r

A handlev 33 is rigid with the body 31, the handle being semi-circular in lcross'section and terminates in a head having an opening 34, a projecting knob 35 serving to prevent the hand from slipping on.

Opposite rthe knob is a forked lug 36in which is pivoted a lever 37, pressed normally outward by a flatspring 38,. this han.- dle and lever bein A preferably corrugated y, to rovide an elect ve grip.

ttached' rigidl tothe free end of the lever 37 are curve rack bars 39 and 40, these bars havingteeth upon their respective inner adjacent ed s.

A stud 41 is xed axially in the body 31, oneof its reduced ends passing through the @ver plate 32, and is provided with a clamp nut 42, .the cover being further held, at its outer end by a Vscrew 43.

Looselyemounted ong'the stud 41 are two pinions 44 and f45'closely against the side walls .of the hollow body and in register with the bars 39 vand 40, the teeth of which A tinue ntrally on the stud is -a grooved wheel 46.a11 d intermediate the sides of the wheel engjge the teeth of the pinions.

and hubs of the pinions are spacing washersl 47. On the sides ofthe wheel are ratchet teeth 48 and 49 engageable by arcuate spring pawls 50 and 51 fixed on the ends of sector plates 52 and 53 secured respectively on the hubs of the pinions 44 and 45.

As the teeth of the ratchets 48 and 49 are arranged in opposed relation, it will be seen that the wheel- 46 is propelled in a` clockwise direction, both upon pressing the lever 37 inwardly and when it is returned by the s rin 38, thus giving a substantially conforward movement. Fixed on the spindles 11, centrally between theends of the brushes 10 are small` pulleys 54 and 55 by which the brushes are driven.

.An endless cord or belt 56 is ltrained over j constructed inclu without departing from `the vgeneral scope Levaees the pulley 46, one of its ends passing under a spring tightener 57, thence passing guide rollers 58, and 59 to the brush pulley155, thence over guide rollers 60, 61, thereafter being crossed and passedv over the other. brush pulley 54, thence to guide rollers 62, 63 to the wheel 46.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l the brushes are caused to rotate, at a rapid speed, in reverse directions upon `manipulation of the handley andthat their movement' is essentially constant and unvarying in direction, 4aii'fo'rding a scrubbing action not possible of attainmentwith an ordinary brush.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrativeonly, and not as restrictive vorlimitative of the invention, of which obviousl an embodiment may be g vmany modifications herein indicated edclaims. Having'thus described my invention, what yI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters` Patent,jis:

and denoted inthe append- 1. A tooth brush comprisingla pair of rotatable brushes, arranged on spaced parallel axes, manual means for rotating said brushes co-incidently` in reverse directions, and means for normall constraining said brushes towards each ot er.

2. A tooth brush comprising -a pair of rotatable brushes, arranged in spaced par-y allel relation, manual means for 'rotating said brushes co-incidently `in reverse 'direc-- tions, a guard casing for each brush, said casings being pivoted together, anda spr-ingv tending to urge the brushes together.

3. A tooth brush comprising a hollow body, having a hollow stem at one end and a handle at the other, a pair of guard casings pivoted at the end of said stem, brushesrotatable on parallel axes in saidcasings, a

motor in said body, means combined with the handle for actuating said motor, and

driving connections between said motor and each of said brushes.

4. A tooth brush comprising a yhollow body', having a hollow stem at one end and' a handle at the other, a pair of guard cas# ings pivoted at the end of said stem, brushes rotatableon parallel axes in said casings, a stop limiting the entrance of teeth between said brushes, means to retain said stop in adjustment, a pulleyin'said body, ratchets for rotatin said pulley, a lever pivoted to said han e for actuating `said ratchets, and driving connections between said pulley and each of said brushes.

5. A'tooth brush comprising a pair of sinuous rolling brushes adapted to en age -both `sides of a tooth simultaneously, a andled body in which said brushes are mount.- ed to move towards and from each other, re-

lll:

silient means pressing said brushes towards 'each other, a stop limiting the relative movement 4of the brushes, and means combined with the handle to rotate said brushes in opposite directions coincidentl 6. A tooth brush comprislng a body having a hollow stem open at one side at itsL end, a -crown partially rotatable in the stem opening, a -pair of casings pivoted to said crown,l a brush revoluble 1n each casing, means permitting removal of each brush inydividual1y,"and means for rotating said brushes simultaneous1y.-

7 A tooth brush comprising avbody having a hollow stem open at one side at its pivoted to the hand e, a pulley 1n said body, t0

operative connections between said lever and pulley, whereby thepulley is rotated in one direction irrespective of the movement of the lever, an endless drive belt between said ulley and brushes, and means for maintain 25 mg said belt in a taut condition. y

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this application'.

vSTANLEY z AvE. 

